A serious dispute between Slovakia and Ukraine has put their relationship on shaky ground. The problem began when Ukraine decided to block the transit of Russian gas through its pipelines to Slovakia.

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Slovakia is dependent on gas passing through Ukraine and Fico has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for refusing to extend the contract, which expires at the end of the year. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov,

Fico is the third EU leader, after Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to meet with Putin since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. #Euro

Slovakia may consider reciprocal measures against Ukraine if it doesn’t allow the transit of gas from Russia to Europe.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has for the second time in as many months made comments against Ukraine joining NATO. He did, however, acknowledge that Russia's invasion had violated international law.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in the Kremlin on Sunday with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico (shown here in Brussels in February 2024), in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP)

Slovakia's main gas buyer SPP and groups from Hungary, Austria and Italy warned the European Commission on Tuesday of the risks of an end to natural gas transit via Ukraine, as EU officials kept out of talks aimed at keeping Russian gas flowing.

Slovakia aims to have a deal by the end of the year that will allow natural gas to continue to flow from Russia through Ukraine, Denisa Sakova, the nation’s deputy prime minister and economy minister said.

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini discussed peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in an interview on Sunday.

Kiev's termination of the transit of Russian gas may cause a serious conflict between Ukraine and Slovakia. This was stated by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.